As Danzo entered the room, a cold dread settled in Ryu's stomach. Aware of the man's unpredictable nature and fearsome capabilities, Ryu remained on high alert, cautious not to attract any unwanted attention. He didn't want to be caught in the crosshairs of Danzo's plans.
Two figures wearing dark cloaks followed Danzo. The air in the room, already heavy, thickened with the menacing presence of the two people: one short and masked, the other tall with a long cloak obscuring his face.
Ryu's eyes flickered between the three figures, his thoughts moving at high speed. The masked one, Ryu guessed, must be an ANBU operative. But the other... there was an unsettling quality to him, something that sent a chill down Ryu's spine. "This guy must have mastered the art of being creepy without even trying," Ryu thought.
Ryu had always understood Danzo's danger, but facing him in person offered a stark reality check, exposing him to true peril for the first time. Ryu felt a momentary paralysis, refraining from even the faintest sound in Danzo's formidable presence. Danzo's inscrutable posture, with eyes closed in contemplation, only added to the unease. The two cloaked figures stood guard behind him, their silent vigilance amplifying the tension.
As Dr. Yuki settled into her seat at the desk, a frustrated sigh slipping past her lips, Danzo positioned himself before her, an image of quiet authority. His stoic demeanour, with closed eyes masking his intentions, contrasted starkly against Dr. Yuki's veiled irritation. The cloaked figures' silent presence loomed in the background, casting a palpable aura of intimidation throughout the room.
"You are here early?" Dr. Yuki asked, breaking the tense silence with a note of frustration and disapproval in her voice.
Danzo opened his one eye, fixing Dr. Yuki with a penetrating, cold gaze. "I don't like to waste time," he said, his voice as arid as the Suna desert, "especially when it's mine."
"Are you ready for the exchange?" he asked. His voice was chillingly devoid of emotion, expressing a cold efficiency and a complete disregard for how their exchange would affect others.
When Ryu heard him talk about the exchange, a cold sweat broke out on his brow. He thought, "Am I going to be recruited into the Root Division? I just got reborn, and someone is already here to make me a slave. Bye bye, freedom, and hello creepy underground lair."
At that moment, regret stung him for displaying his ability to Hirito. He thought, "If the past Ryu had also showcased any exceptional ability in front of others, then hello slavery and bye-bye happy childhood." Ryu's mind raced, recalling every interaction he'd had before this rebirth to assess any potential risks or vulnerabilities. Had he shown any extraordinary abilities? Had anyone noticed his advanced intelligence? Upon realizing that the old Ryu had not showcased any extraordinary events in his memories, Ryu's tension eased slightly.
But still, he was not in the clear yet. The fear of being recruited into Danzo's nefarious 'Root Division' organization remained a heavy weight.
Dr. Yuki sighed in defeat, her mind sinking into the memory of the conversation that had brought her to this point.
(Flashback)
A few days ago, in this very office, an angry voice echoed.
"You cannot do this, Danzo," Dr. Yuki said angrily.
"Actually, I can and I must," Danzo replied, his tone chilling and his composure thinly masking his ruthlessness. "I need to replenish the strength of my Root Division after the losses in the last war. The war may have ended, but the fight continues. Root will always be there, fighting in the shadows. It would be beneficial for both of us if you agreed without wasting my time."
"I will talk with Hiruzen," Dr. Yuki threatened, her voice edged with desperation.
Danzo's lips curled into a cold smile. "Go ahead. Your cousin cannot help you with this. We have an understanding not to interfere with each other's matters."
"They are children, Danzo," Dr. Yuki shouted in protest, her face contorted with anguish. "You cannot do this to them!"
Danzo replied without even opening an eye, "Your colleague Nono Yakushi said the same thing a few days ago. In the end, she had to agree. Just as you will."
Dr. Yuki's face paled at the mention of Nono. "What have you done to her?" she demanded, her voice shaking.
"Nothing," Danzo said, his tone utterly devoid of warmth. He then opened his one eye and continued, "I suggest you stop wasting my time and agree."
"No, I won't," she said, her voice firm with conviction. Dr. Yuki refused to acquiesce to his demands, vehemently protesting his coercive tactics and refusing to send her children to his godforsaken Root Division.
At this moment, one of Danzo's subordinates stepped forward, his voice low and menacing. "You are inviting trouble by refusing Lord Danzo's request."
The other subordinate added, "If you care about this orphanage, then agree now. Otherwise, this orphanage won't survive much longer."
"The condition of this orphanage looks rather poor," the first one observed, his tone mock-sympathetic. "You're having financial difficulties, aren't you? I wonder what would happen if whatever you have left were to be... stolen by some thieves."
"You see," the other continued, his voice sickly sweet, "some of those miscreants are rather violent these days. They wouldn't even hesitate to hurt a child."
Dr. Yuki's shock morphed into a blazing anger. She could not imagine they would stoop to such lengths as to threaten children.
"You wouldn't dare," Mother Yuki hissed, her eyes flashing with fury. "Even you, Danzo, wouldn't stoop so low as to harm innocent children."
Danzo remained impassive. "I would do whatever is necessary for the good of the village. The question is, would you?"
Danzo remained silent while his subordinates were making threats. To Danzo, Dr. Yuki was an insignificant person, and such petty threats were beneath him; that was the task of his subordinates.
A cold fury hardened Dr. Yuki's gaze as she heard Danzo's two subordinates make threats against the orphanage. She would never want to put the orphanage at risk, but she also didn't want to send the children to Root. She pleaded with Danzo, invoking their old camaraderie.
"Please, Danzo," she begged, her voice cracking. "We were comrades once. We faced and survived all that hardship together."
Danzo replied with sharp contempt, "No, after you left Root, we are not. You weren't fit for Root, as you couldn't rise above your emotions. A shinobi must be an emotionless tool for the sake of others. You and Nono failed as Shinobi."
In a final, desperate move, Dr. Yuki appealed to their shared history for understanding. Her voice trembled with emotion, a fragile echo of a past camaraderie that now lay fractured.
Danzo then calmed himself and continued, "Even though you failed as Shinobi, you can still serve the village by filling up the ranks of Root."
Dr. Yuki fell silent, knowing she couldn't convince him or go up against him. The old division had come a long way since she left it. The training methods they use are too inhumane. She knew if she sent the children into the Root Division, many of them would die. Those who survive will be turned into emotionless tools. Their only purpose in their lives will be to follow his commands.
"And what of their dreams?" Mother Yuki asked, her voice hushed with despair. "What of their hopes, their futures? Would you eliminate everything for what you deem to be necessary?"
Danzo's eye narrowed as he asserted, "Dreams are luxuries we cannot afford in times like these. Ensuring the village's security is of utmost importance."
Dr. Yuki then let out a heavy breath and said, "Okay, you win. But I am not going to let go of them all. Some of them are too vulnerable."
Danzo, without looking at Dr. Yuki, said, "I will not let you have any child that seems promising. And don't even try to fool me. I am going to send someone to examine the children."
(Flashback Ends)
As the memory faded, Dr. Yuki's focus shifted to the present, where Danzo stood before her desk. The weight of her decision, the lives she was about to change forever, pressed down on her like a physical force.
Ryu, still hidden in the shadows, watched the scene unfold with a mixture of fear and caution.